TODOS SANTOS, Baja California/Mexico (Sunday, January 17, 2016) – Josh Kerr (AUS), a long serving competitor on the elite World Surf League (WSL) Samsung Galaxy Championship Tour (CT), claimed the Todos Santos Challenge today, besting a field of 24 of the world’s top big wave surfers in mammoth 10m to 13 m (30-to-40-foot) waves off the coast of Baja California in Mexico.

The third WSL Big Wave Tour (BWT) event to run in the 2015/2016 season, the Todos Santos Challenge attracted the marquee big wave surfers on the planet to the remote location of “Killers” off of Isla Todos Santos in Baja California. A solid West Northwest (WNW) swell tracking from north of the Hawaiian Islands delivered huge waves that increased in size throughout the morning before climaxing for the six-man Final.

Kerr, who finished 11th on last year’s elite Championship Tour, put his big wave skills to the test today, resulting in one of the biggest wins of his career. Consistently navigating massive set waves from the opening round, Kerr opened the Final strongly and stayed busy throughout. He caught and rode a total of five waves, two more than any of his five opponents, and posted scores of 7.87 and 8.20 to collect his first Big Wave victory.

“I have so much respect for the guys on this tour and those that regularly commit themselves to surfing big waves,” Kerr said. “I have had the biggest smile on my face all day just getting to surf big waves with them. I’ve felt great all day and had complete confidence in my board. I’m really thankful for the opportunity to surf here today.”

Kerr’s fellow finalists represented a “Who’s Who” of the big wave community who are all Todos Santos specialists. Greg Long (USA), Carlos Burle (BRA), Damien Hobgood (USA), Nic Lamb (USA) and Rusty Long (USA) finished second to sixth respectively.

Greg Long, a former Big Wave Tour Champion, was particularly impressive at Todos Santos today, putting his decades of experience at the venue to use by waiting patiently for the biggest and best waves and consistently netting high scores en route to his Runner-Up finish.

“It’s been a great day and I’m really happy that Todos turned on for the world to see,” Long said. “I’ve been coming here since I was 15 and it’s a very special wave for me. Unfortunate that the wind kicked up in the afternoon and I wasn’t able to find a second wave in the Final, but huge congrats to Josh (Kerr) who was charging all day.”

Today’s Runner-Up finish vaulted Long to the No. 1 spot on the latest WSL BWT rankings.

James Taylor (ZAF, Melkbosstrand) was the only South African in the 24-man field following the withdrawal due to a back injury of Grant ‘Twiggy’ Baker, the 2013/2014 BWT World Champion and the No. 7 seed for the Todos Santos Challenge.

Taylor made a determined comeback in his Round 1 heat after misreading the takeoff on his first wave and then suffering an horrendous wipeout when he was hung up in the lip of the wave on his second ride. He posted two more scores, a 6.17 and a 3.70, but was ultimately eliminated after placing fifth behind Greg Long, Gudauskas, Hobgood and Billy Kemper (HAW).

Kemper, who entered the Todos Santos Challenge as the WSL BWT rankings’ frontrunner following an incendiary victory at the Pe’ahi Challenge on Maui in December, was also eliminated which saw him drop to 3rd on the BWT rankings.

Makuakai Rothman (HAW), reigning WSL BWT Champion and winner of the Quiksilver Ceremonial in Chile last May, came into the Todos Santos Challenge ranked No. 2 but was ousted in the final moments of his Semifinal bout by Kerr, Rusty Long and Burle.

Two events, the Oregon Challenge at Lincoln City’s Nelscott Reef and the Punta Galea Challenge in the Basque Region, remain on the 2015/2016 WSL BWT season with the potential to run, conditions permitting, before the February 28th close of the window.

Highlights from the Todos Santos Challenge are available at WorldSurfLeague.com

Note: High resolution images are available on request to Media Outlets

About the World Surf League
The mission of the WSL is simple: to inspire positive change for surfing, our fans and the environment. Formerly the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), the WSL has been championing the world’s best surfing since 1976, running global products across the Samsung Galaxy men’s and women’s Championship Tours, Big Wave Tour, Qualifying Series, Junior and Longboard Championships, as well as the WSL Big Wave Awards. The League possesses a deep appreciation for the sport’s rich heritage while promoting progression, innovation and performance at the highest levels; it strives to put the world’s best surfers on the world’s best waves.

Showcasing the world’s best surfing on its digital platform at WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL has energized an already-passionate global fan base with millions around the world tuning-in to see the likes of Kelly Slater, Filipe Toledo, Gabriel Medina, Makua Rothman, Grant “Twiggy” Baker, Greg Long, Stephanie Gilmore, John John Florence, Carissa Moore and others do battle in the most dynamic field of play in all of sports. For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

The World Surf League (WSL) Big Wave Tour (BWT) has placed the Todos Santos Challenge in Baja California on Green Alert to commence on Sunday, January 17, 2016 with a projected 30-foot-plus swell heading towards the region.

“The swell we’ve been tracking from North of Hawaii has intensified and we’ve called the Todos Santos Challenge ON for a Sunday start,” said Peter Mel, WSL Big Wave Commissioner. “We’re looking at 30-foot-plus waves projected for the day with favourable winds and tides.”

The Todos Santos Challenge will be contested by 24 men, led by current rankings’ leader Billy Kemper (HAW) and reigning BWT Champion Makuakai Rothman (HAW).

South African Grant ‘Twiggy’ Baker, who ended the 2014 / 2015 season ranked No. 7 on the BWT, is one of the top 10 seeds, while compatriot James Taylor (Melkbosstrand) is one of two alternates in the Video Invitee category.

“Having ran events in Chile and Maui so far, the 2015/2016 Big Wave Tour has already produced exceptional moments,” continued Mel. “Makuakai Rothman was dominant at Punta de Lobos and Maui’s Billy Kemper wowed everyone at Pe’ahi. We’re looking forward to more fireworks come Sunday in Mexico.”

Surfline, official forecasters for the 2015/2016 WSL BWT season are calling for:

We have been closely monitoring a hurricane force low to the north of Hawaii over the past 24 hours as it will set up an XXL swell for Todos Santos through the day on Sunday. Thus far we have observed satellite verified wind of 50-75 knots and seas in excess of 50 feet in this storm and it still has plenty of life left in the next 12-24 hours. At this point we expect to see strong, long period west-northwest swell build through the day on Sunday, with the largest waves in the afternoon.

The better set waves, while likely lully, will be in the 30-40’ range on the face with some even larger max sets possible. Local wind and weather looks favorable with high pressure over the region: light and variable flow in the morning trending to light+ onshore NW in the afternoon.

The Todos Santos Challenge will be webcast LIVE at WorldSurfLeague.com

About the World Surf League
The mission of the WSL is simple: to inspire positive change for surfing, our fans and the environment. Formerly the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), the WSL has been championing the world’s best surfing since 1976, running global products across the Samsung Galaxy men’s and women’s Championship Tours, Big Wave Tour, Qualifying Series, Junior and Longboard Championships, as well as the WSL Big Wave Awards. The League possesses a deep appreciation for the sport’s rich heritage while promoting progression, innovation and performance at the highest levels; it strives to put the world’s best surfers on the world’s best waves.

Showcasing the world’s best surfing on its digital platform at WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL has energized an already-passionate global fan base with millions around the world tuning-in to see the likes of Kelly Slater, Filipe Toledo, Gabriel Medina, Makua Rothman, Grant “Twiggy” Baker, Greg Long, Stephanie Gilmore, John John Florence, Carissa Moore and others do battle in the most dynamic field of play in all of sports. For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

Matt McGillivray (Jeffreys Bay) in action during his Round 1 heat win at the Ericeira World Junior Championships in Portugal on Tuesday Photo: WSL / Masurel

Jeffreys Bay’s Dylan Lightfoot and Matt McGillivray advanced directly to Round 3 of the Ericeira WSL Junior Championships by winning their respective Round 1 heats on the opening two days of the event which determines the annual undisputed men’s and women’s world junior (20-and-under) champions.

Competing in unruly 1.5 metre waves at the backup venue of Praia dos Pescadores due to huge, stormy surf and adverse winds at the main site of Ribeira D’Ilhas, Lightfoot defeated Costa Rican standout Noe Mar McGonagle and fellow South African Jody Maree (Kalk Bay) in the first heat of the day on Tuesday.

McGillivray posted a pair of high seven point rides in the day’s last heat to dispatch Victor Bernardo (BRA) and Imaikalani Devault (HAW) to the cutthroat Round 2 elimination heats.

The balance of the South African contingent all placed second or third in their opening encounters and will contest Round 2 heats.

WSL Africa women’s junior champion Nicole Pallet (La Lucia) will be up against Hawaiian Dax McGill while Gina Smith (Jeffreys Bay) takes on Portugal’s Camilla Kemp in Round 2 today. Round 3 of the women’s event is on standby to run later this afternoon, conditions permitting.

Maree, Shane Sykes (Salt Rock), Adin Masencamp (Strand) and Bevan Willis (Durban), along with Benji Brand (Kommetjie) who is representing Hawaii at the event, will be in action against opponents yet to be determined when men’s Round 2 man-on-man heats get underway.

The Ericeira World Junior Championships is webcast LIVE on worldsurfleague.com and via the WSL app, starting at approximately 10am daily.

The Ericeira World Junior Championships are supported by Ericeira, Billabong, Portuguese Waves, Moche and Hertz among others.

NOTE: High resolution images are available to Media Outlets on request

About the World Surf League
The mission of the WSL is simple: to inspire positive change for surfing, our fans and the environment. Formerly the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), the WSL has been championing the world’s best surfing since 1976, running global products across the Samsung Galaxy men’s and women’s Championship Tours, Big Wave Tour, Qualifying Series, Junior and Longboard Championships, as well as the WSL Big Wave Awards. The League possesses a deep appreciation for the sport’s rich heritage while promoting progression, innovation and performance at the highest levels; it strives to put the world’s best surfers on the world’s best waves.

Showcasing the world’s best surfing on its digital platform at WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL has energized an already-passionate global fan base with millions around the world tuning-in to see the likes of Kelly Slater, Filipe Toledo, Gabriel Medina, Makua Rothman, Grant “Twiggy” Baker, Greg Long, Stephanie Gilmore, John John Florence, Carissa Moore and others do battle in the most dynamic field of play in all of sports. For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

Dylan Lightfoot heads a contingent of seven South Africans who will join the world’s best surfers aged 20-and-under in the Ericeira WSL Junior Championships which determines the annual undisputed men’s and women’s world junior champions.

The Ericeira WSL Junior Championships runs from 4 – 13 January 2016 in the high-performance right-hand point breaks of Ericeira in Portugal and hosts the top ranked junior surfers from the seven WSL regions of North America, South America, Japan, Europe, Africa, Australasia and Hawaii in the 48-man and 18-woman fields.

Lightfoot (Jeffreys Bay), the WSL Africa Junior champion and also the highest ranked SA junior on the WSL Qualifying Series (QS) at No. 157, finished equal 17th in the corresponding event in 2014 and is anticipating a better result in the final junior event of his career.

“I’m really looking forward to surfing in the World Junior Champs at Ericeira,” said Lightfoot. “It’s an incredible wave and I feel it suits my style of surfing being a right hand point break.”

NOTE: High resolution images are available to Media Outlets on request

About the World Surf League
The mission of the WSL is simple: to inspire positive change for surfing, our fans and the environment. Formerly the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), the WSL has been championing the world’s best surfing since 1976, running global products across the Samsung Galaxy men’s and women’s Championship Tours, Big Wave Tour, Qualifying Series, Junior and Longboard Championships, as well as the WSL Big Wave Awards. The League possesses a deep appreciation for the sport’s rich heritage while promoting progression, innovation and performance at the highest levels; it strives to put the world’s best surfers on the world’s best waves.

Showcasing the world’s best surfing on its digital platform at WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL has energized an already-passionate global fan base with millions around the world tuning-in to see the likes of Kelly Slater, Filipe Toledo, Gabriel Medina, Makua Rothman, Grant “Twiggy” Baker, Greg Long, Stephanie Gilmore, John John Florence, Carissa Moore and others do battle in the most dynamic field of play in all of sports. For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.